


Totally Worth Drowning For

by blondeslytherin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Minor Angst, not even real angst tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 18:50:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11834871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blondeslytherin/pseuds/blondeslytherin
Summary: The victim coughed twice more, a little more bile got dumped onto the sand, and then the most stunning pair of violet eyes turned to him. “You didn’t need to drown to get my attention, you already had it,” Lance said with a wink.Or: Lance is a lifeguard at the local beach, and one day saves a drowning Keith.





	Totally Worth Drowning For

**Author's Note:**

> The lifeguard AU that no one asked for but all are receiving. Hope you like! Comments and Kudos are much appreciated!

The sound of the ocean was slowly lulling him to sleep. There was something so calming about the way that it sounded, the crash of waves as they broke against the shore. The sound of children laughing? That was the sound that was keeping him on the brink of consciousness.  


It was another hot day at the beach, and the bright red shorts were slowly beginning to chafe the insides of his thighs. Why they couldn’t be blue, Lance had no idea. Red was such an obnoxiously bright color anyways, harsh on the eyes and violent in contrast to the beautiful cerulean that is the ocean.  


How his mama had convinced him that he should get a job as a lifeguard at the beach, he still had no idea. It had sounded great at the time: getting to stay at the beach all day, hot girls and guys all around him in questionable amounts of clothing. It should have been the perfect job.  


But there were far too many children, and Lance had gotten stuck with the only lifeguard chair that lacked an umbrella. That should have been illegal on a day like today. It was steadily marching towards a hundred degrees, and the bright red shorts were burning on his thighs.  


Today was the fourth day of having his job, and he was only two hours into his shift.  


Lance yawned, thinking about his plans for later after he got off. He was meeting up with Hunk and Pidge at this new diner, a place called Voltron. He had argued that it sounded more like a club name than a diner, but Hunk had said to trust him.  


_“The things I do for the two of you” _, he had grumbled, but was glad that they were finally doing something.  
__

__Hunk had been off at culinary camp, and Pidge was about to leave for a special techie program. She had explained what it was, but it sounded too scientific and he tuned out in the first five minutes. Whatever it was, it meant that she would be leaving next week. They had this week, and they would be separated once more for the rest of the summer. There were about four days at the end of August before they were off to college. Luckily, the trio had all gotten into the same school, so they wouldn’t be away from each other the whole year.  
_ _

__Pushing his sunglasses out of the way, he ran a hand over his eyes, forcing back another yawn. He scanned the beach, eyes darting over the mass of colorful umbrellas, despite it being only ten in the morning.  
_ _

__He didn’t use to mind the umbrellas, until he was up on the high chair and they blocked the view of the sand.  
_ _

__At least they didn’t affect the way the water looked.  
_ _

__Lance settled back, resigning himself to another boring day.  
_ _

__That was when he noticed the head dip below the surface, and not come back up.  
_ _

__He jumped out of his chair, quick as lightning. No one was drowning on his watch. A part of his mind was glad that there was finally something to do, but he shushed that part.  
_ _

__The water was chilly as he dove in, the current pulling at his legs.  
_ _

__He had noticed the rip curl earlier in the day, and had been warning everyone within earshot of it. It was even posted on the back of the lifeguard chair. Whoever this was appeared to be extremely cocky, thinking they could avoid it, or just unlucky.  
_ _

__Long legs kicked him over to where he saw the head last, eyes peeled for the missing person.  
_ _

__Lance was the only one out here, and panic began to flood his system. He was fairly certain that letting someone drown would get him fired.  
_ _

__Two pale fingers broke the surface, disappearing as quickly as they had come.  
_ _

__The Cuban took off in that direction, not hesitating to dive below the surface. His hands connected with flesh, and he slipped them under the person’s arms, hefting them upwards.  
_ _

__Lance’s lungs were burning as they broke the surface, and he noticed with a start that the other person wasn’t breathing. It appeared to be a teen girl, from the long black hair that was plastered to their skin from the salt water.  
_ _

__The panic that Lance had felt earlier turned into full-fledged fear. The faster he started CPR, the better.  
_ _

__It was awkward and difficult dragging another person through the water, and he was very, very, thankful that the safety courses had been necessary.  
_ _

__The golden sand of the beach didn’t seem to be getting any closer, and Lance’s leg muscles were burning from the strain.  
_ _

__Finally, they managed to reach the edge of the sand, Lance panting and the other person still not moving.  
_ _

__He would definitely need to do CPR.  
_ _

__However, when he brushed back the wet strands of hair, he found that the drowning girl, had actually been a drowning guy. With hair that might have resembled a mullet had it been dry.  
_ _

__Lance shook his head. Now was not the time to insult this guy’s life choices. He wouldn’t have any more life choices if he didn’t start breathing.  
_ _

__There was still a faint pulse, and the Cuban set to work immediately. Within a few minutes of mouth to mouth and chest compressions, the boy spluttered, spitting out a mouth of water, and then the entire contents of his stomach. Lance wrinkled his nose, watching the scene as he sat back on his heels.  
_ _

__The victim coughed twice more, a little more bile got dumped onto the sand, and then the most stunning pair of violet eyes turned to him.  
_ _

__Lance felt the air in his own lungs whoosh away as he gazed into them. There was such an intensity, that he couldn’t help what came out of his mouth.  
_ _

__“You didn’t need to drown to get my attention, you already had it,” he said with a wink. And then his brain caught up with his mouth, and the red on his face wasn’t a sunburn.  
_ _

__“Oh dude, I am so sorry, are you okay? I mean probably not, you just drowned, but seriously are you okay? Does your chest hurt or anything? I’m calling 911 now,” he was babbling, and he couldn’t help it. This dude nearly drowned, and the first thing that Lance had said to him was a pick-up line.  
_ _

__The boy scowled, sweeping the hair back from his forehead with a pale hand. Pale hands that would look so good intertwined with his…  
_ _

__Lance snapped his mind back to the present. Nope, it was not the time to be thinking about how hot this guy was.  
_ _

__“You don’t need to call 911, I’m fine.” His voice was deep, and damn if Lance’s heart didn’t skip a beat. Maybe he should have let him drown if it meant that Lance wouldn’t die just from talking to him.  
_ _

__His words registered with the Cuban just as the black-haired boy was standing up.  
_ _

__“No, no I do have to call the emergency room,” Lance spluttered, standing as well. “It’s protocol.”  
_ _

__“I’m fine,” the boy repeated, a note of finality in his voice. He began to walk away, Lance chasing after him.  
_ _

__“Dude, if I don’t, I’ll get fired. Which doesn’t sound so bad, but I’d like to actually keep this job.”  
_ _

__The boy spun on his heel, stopping abruptly and fixing him with those dazzling violet eyes. Lance stopped from the sheer intensity in his gaze. “You can call 911, but I won’t be here when they arrive.”  
_ _

__Lance was left standing speechless and the boy took off again, weaving his way through the maze of umbrellas.  
_ _

__He was nearly out of earshot when Lance called out after him. “Can I at least take you to dinner to make sure you’re okay?”  
_ _

__The only response he received was a single middle finger thrust in his direction, and then the boy disappeared forever.  
_ _

___Rude _, thought Lance.  
__ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___“What do you mean, you almost drowned?”  
_ _ _

___Keith flinched. It would have been better Shiro was yelling at him. Instead, he was using his deadly calm dad voice, the one that he reserved for when Keith had seriously fucked up.  
_ _ _

__

__“You refuse to learn how to swim, despite living in a beach town, and then you go out and decide to swim in the ocean.”  
_ _

__“Well, yeah,” he mumbled. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. It was hot, and what else did he have to do? Swimming didn’t seem that hard of a concept in theory. It was much, much different in action.  
_ _

__“Whoever that lifeguard was deserves a raise.” Keith snorted, and Shiro raised an eyebrow.  
_ _

__“The first thing he said to me after I had just thrown up was a goddamn pick-up line,” he deadpanned. Shiro broke his resolve, and let out a small snort. And then came the dad face again.  
_ _

__“Don’t do that again.”  
_ _

__“Wasn’t planning on it.”  
_ _

__Shiro’s face shifted once more, softening. He pulled Keith into a hug, something that only ever happened when he had been truly scared, and Keith felt a pang of guilt.  
_ _

__“Glad you’re okay,” the taller man mumbled against his shoulder. Keith didn’t reply, leaning into the hug.  
_ _

__When they pulled away, Keith could see the faint tear tracks on his face. But Shiro was grinning.  
_ _

__“Was he cute at least?”  
_ _

__“SHIRO!”  
_ _

__~~~  
_ _

__“And then he just tossed me the finger, as if I hadn’t just saved his life!” Lance said indignantly, gesturing with a fry held loosely between his finger tips for story telling purposes.  
_ _

__Pidge stared at him through her round glasses, a bored look on her face. “Lance, the first thing you said to the guy was a pick-up line.”  
_ _

__“I panicked, okay!” he said around the fry that was now in his mouth.  
_ _

__Hunk was chuckling softly next to him, and Lance turned his gaze towards the hulking Samoan.  
_ _

__“What’s so funny about me getting rejected, huh?” Lance sounded hurt, but there was a grin on his face that said he wasn’t really. At least to the outside world.  
_ _

__“Buddy, you get rejected all the time. This just happens to be more entertaining than the rest of the failed lines.”  
_ _

__“Whatever,” he muttered, turning back to his food. Hunk and Pidge picked up a conversation, and his mind drifted back to the boy. He just couldn’t get those eyes out of his mind. They were stunning, simply said. And Lance had never seen an eye color quite that vivid before. And the hair, he was going to melt. Even if it was a mullet, it looked to be so incredibly soft. Imagine what it felt like when it was dry.  
_ _

__Not to forget, those lips. They were soft, tasting of salt water and mint. It had only been a brief touch, for the entire sake of getting the idiot breathing again, but they wouldn’t leave his mind. He would give anything just to be able to kiss those lips again. Properly, this time.  
_ _

__He let out a small sigh without realizing it, and a moment later, a small foot was being kicked into his shin.  
_ _

__Lance yelped in pain, reaching a hand down to rub at his leg. Pidge was tiny, but she had a mean kick.  
_ _

__“That better not leave a bruise,” he grumbled, and looked up when he was met with no reply.  
_ _

__Pidge was staring at something over his shoulder, and Hunk was twisted in his seat, evidently looking at the same thing.  
_ _

__“What?” he asked, and neither stirred.  
_ _

__“You said he had violet eyes and a mullet, right?” Hunk asked slowly.  
_ _

__“…yeah. Why?”  
_ _

__Pidge broke out into a shit eating grin. “Today’s your lucky day, lover boy. Don’t turn around but- “  
_ _

__He didn’t hear the rest of her sentence, as he was whipping around in his seat so quickly he thought he pulled a muscle in his back.  
_ _

__And there he was, the same boy from earlier, now dressed in a cropped red jacket and tight skinny jeans. He was also standing next to—  
_ _

__“Shiro!” He exclaimed.  
_ _

__~~~  
_ _

__“Shiro!” came a rather loud voice, and Keith turned his attention to the offender.  
_ _

__Oh no. It was the lifeguard from earlier, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, and a growing blush on his tan skin. The same blush that was now rising on Keith’s skin.  
_ _

__Shiro turned his eyes to them as well, and broke out into a wide smile. “Lance!” he said, walking over. “What are you doing here?”  
_ _

__The boy, Lance, threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Out for dinner with these losers. What about you?” Blue eyes that contrasted to the tan skin of the boy slid over to Keith, almost like it was unintentional. Keith scowled, and Lance blushed even more fiercely at being caught.  
_ _

__The guy next to Lance turned his narrowed eyes towards the tan boy, and the girl on the opposite side of the booth rolled her own eyes.  
_ _

__“I’m here for a bite with Keith. Nearly drowned today, thought he should have something good to eat.”  
_ _

__“Oh, we’re well aware,” said the boy sitting next to Lance. It shouldn’t have been possible, but Lance turned even more red. He was now redder than the bright shorts that he had sported earlier.  
_ _

__Keith watched as Shiro raised an eyebrow, and then sent him a confused look over his shoulder. Keith was silently pleading with him not to say anything else and just walk away, but luck never was on his side.  
_ _

__The girl piped up now. “For the last hour, we’ve been hearing about how Lance saved pretty boy’s ass at the beach, and then promptly got rejected.”  
_ _

__Shiro went shock still, and Keith closed his eyes, praying for a hole to open up under his feet and swallow him whole.  
_ _

__And then raucous laughter broke out, and Keith sighed. Nothing worked out for him, did it?  
_ _

__For his part, Lance looked like he wanted a hole to swallow him up as well. Gone was the suave boy from the beach, and here was just another embarrassed teen. If he hadn’t been so obnoxious the first time they met, Keith would have considered giving him a chance. A heavy emphasis on _considered _.  
___ _

___There were tears coming out of Shiro’s eyes now, and Keith scowled. And then watched in horror as he sat down next to the girl, gesturing for Keith to join him.  
_ _ _

___The Korean shook his head, hair whipping him with the force he was exerting.  
_ _ _

___But Shiro was insistent, and reluctantly, he sat down next to him in the booth. The guy next to Lance was watching him with amused eyes, and Lance…  
_ _ _

___Well, Lance was harder to read. There was something peculiar about the way that he was watching Keith, and he no longer looked embarrassed. He flushed under the piercing blue eyes, turning his attention to the table.  
_ _ _

___He hated to say it, but damn. He was attractive. And not in the “hot body at the beach,” but just attractive all over. Lance had a kind face, crinkles around the corners of his eyes. Laugh lines, his mother had called them. Lance sure seemed like a person who laughed a lot.  
_ _ _

___There was something so easy going about the way that he smiled as well, that had Keith wishing he could see that smile every day. And his body was nothing to laugh at. Keith fought a rising blush as he remembered what he had looked like earlier in the day, water droplets running down his chest and an adorable worried look on his face.  
_ _ _

___Nope. Stop right there. He was obnoxious, and rather than checking if he was okay, he had used a pick-up line. However, he had checked to see if he was okay a moment later. Annoyance soured his mood as his mind helpfully provided every reason why this Lance guy seemed okay.  
_ _ _

___Shiro nudged him, and he refocused his attention.  
_ _ _

___“As I was saying, this is Pidge, Lance, and Hunk.” Keith nodded, matching up each name with each face. Pidge sent him a small salute as her name was said, and Hunk waved when his turn came. He pointedly refused to look at Lance.  
_ _ _

___“So, how do you all know each other?” It was the first that Keith had spoken, and Pidge and Shiro took turns rattling off about how they had met through Pidge’s older brother, Matt, and became friends from there. Hunk and Lance had been introduced through Pidge, and a fast friendship had formed.  
_ _ _

___The conversation flowed easily, ranging from summer plans to upcoming classes. Keith answered when necessary, instead focusing his attention on the tan boy across from him.  
_ _ _

___Whenever he wasn’t paying attention, he managed to sneak a look at the boy. He looked so inviting, so open, that he nearly regretted giving him the finger and turning down his dinner invitation earlier. Almost.  
_ _ _

___Lance didn’t seem like Keith’s type, anyways. He was closed off, preferring to spend time alone. And Lance seemed like the kind of guy that was always at the center of the action, soaking up as much attention as humanly possible. Where Keith was quiet, Lance was loud. Where Lance was bright, Keith seemed dull. It was like red and blue.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___Keith was watching him as much as Lance was watching Keith. Lance was just better about it.  
_ _ _

___Those violet eyes never seemed to be anywhere but his face for long, and Lance grinned inwardly at himself. They had ended up at dinner together after all.  
_ _ _

___He would give anything to trade places with Shiro, who was firmly pressed up against him in the small booth. The seat was barely big enough for two, let alone three, and poor Pidge was pressed up against the window. He silently vowed to buy her a peanut butter milkshake later.  
_ _ _

___Conversation was flowing smoothly, and Lance was only paying it half a mind. He did, however, start paying attention after Shiro had glanced between him and Keith, and sent him a wink. Lance fought down a blush and simply grinned, shaking his head. Shiro wore a dubious smirk, as if saying “yeah, okay, sure, there is absolutely _noooo _chemistry between the two of you.”  
___ _ _

___Lance could only hope that Shiro was right.  
_ _ _

___He had decided that fate was real the moment Keith walked into the diner. Fate was real, and telling him that he belonged with the pretty boy spouting a pretty pout. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Lance felt a pang of guilt. If he had let his mind catch up with his mouth, maybe he wouldn’t look so awkward now. But hey, that was what had gotten them here in the first place.  
_ _ _

___The sky was slowly growing dark, and there were steadily fewer patrons in the diner called Voltron. It was only when the waitress told them that they were closing did they realize it was after ten, and Hunk had stifled his third yawn behind his palm.  
_ _ _

___“We should do this again soon,” Lance said, casting a glance over at Keith. Shiro and Pidge both nodded their heads, and Hunk agreed. Keith was the only one that looked doubtful.  
_ _ _

___“Oh,” said Pidge, fixing her eyes at Shiro. “We can bring Matt and Allura as well.”  
_ _ _

___The others agreed, even though Lance only knew who one of those people were. He could feel sleepiness beginning to take its toll on him as well, and he was too tired to protest. Pidge agreed to text Shiro the plans, and the five people stood up to leave.  
_ _ _

___They were out the door and standing on the curb when Lance pulled Keith back. _Now or never _, he thought, as his heart thundered in his chest.  
___ _ _

___“Maybe we could do this again, on our own?” he asked in a low tone, a hopeful smile playing on his lips.  
_ _ _

___Keith smirked at him, and his heart soared at the sight. “In your dreams, pretty boy.”  
_ _ _

___And just like that, mullet head was walking away and climbing into a car.  
_ _ _

___Lance stood there long after he had pulled away, staring at the spot he had seen him last, their conversation playing over in his head. He had called him ‘pretty boy’. There was a chance after all.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___“Keith, you have to open the door at some point,” came Shiro’s muffled voice.  
_ _ _

___“Nope,” he replied, his own voice muffled by the pillow his face was firmly pressed into.  
_ _ _

___“It’s almost eleven in the morning, Keith.”  
_ _ _

___“Your point?”  
_ _ _

___It was silent for a moment, and then the sound of a lock clicking. Keith shot up as light flooded into his room.  
_ _ _

___Shiro stood in the doorway, arms crossed.  
_ _ _

___“Dude, what the fuck?”  
_ _ _

___“You can’t hide in your room because you had a date with the boy of your dreams.”  
_ _ _

___“First of all, it wasn’t a date. It was forced interaction,” he said indignantly. “Second of all, he isn’t the boy of my dreams. Just some lifeguard from the beach.” Shiro snorted. “And third,” he said forcefully, “I’m not hiding. I’m ignoring the sun.”  
_ _ _

___“Doesn’t matter,” said the guy now striding into his room, tugging open his blinds. “We have a meeting with them planned for today. Unless you forgot in your love induced haze?” His tone was taunting, and Keith threw a pillow at him. The older boy ducked with ease, a smile on his lips.  
_ _ _

___“You’re just happy that you can introduce even more people to your girlfriend.”  
_ _ _

___“And you’re happy that you get an excuse to hang out with Lance. Forgot to mention it’s at the beach. You’ll get a proper look at him in a swimsuit this time,” he said with a wink.  
_ _ _

___This time the pillow hit the door as Shiro disappeared from his room.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___To say that Lance was excited was an understatement. Seeing Keith in a swimsuit and properly admiring him this time? Yes please.  
_ _ _

___Hunk had to remind him no less than three times what the actual speed limit was.  
_ _ _

___Pidge was in the backseat, looking a little put off. The beach was not her favorite place (nothing relating to the outdoors was), but she was going for the sake of seeing Lance flounder. Yet again.  
_ _ _

___Matt, Keith, Shiro, and Allura were all meeting them there, at the spot that Lance had picked. Since Hunk and Pidge had chosen the diner, he got to choose the beach spot. It was secluded from the rest of the beach, a place that he and his siblings had found when they were younger. There was a nice tidepool there that was full on a regular basis, which would be great. He could teach Keith to swim where he wouldn’t actually drown.  
_ _ _

___There was a song playing on the radio, and Lance fiddled with the controls until he could make out the lyrics. When the song became recognizable, Lance turned it up as loud as possible without breaking anyone’s eardrums, and began to belt out the lyrics.  
_ _ _

___Hunk joined in after a pause, and Pidge hummed along in the back.  
_ _ _

___The song was still playing when they pulled up to the beach, right next to Shiro’s car.  
_ _ _

___Shit.  
_ _ _

___But Lance plastered on a confident smile, and sent Keith a wink when he saw that he was staring with wide eyes. The boy flushed, turning his violet eyes away. Lance could feel his heart sink but shoved the feelings away. There was still time to impress him yet, for the day was early.  
_ _ _

___“Was that Beyoncé?” Keith asked in a light tone, a soft smile on his lips.  
_ _ _

___Lance smirked, the confidence no longer fake. “Why yes, it was.”  
_ _ _

___Keith had only chuckled and turned away, but the smile was still on his lips.  
_ _ _

___“Hey, lover boy, come help carry all this shit!” Pidge called from the trunk of his beat-up Corolla.  
_ _ _

___“Coming,” he called back, refusing to acknowledge the name she had used. Yes, the day was long indeed, and Lance refused to leave without at least a phone number.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___Lance had pulled up blasting Beyoncé and singing passionately along, and Keith had to admit that he was fucked. He should have drowned when he had the chance.  
_ _ _

___Shiro had sent him a knowing smirk, and Keith had made a snide remark about how he should be paying attention to his own girlfriend. Allura chose that moment to interject how cute Lance would look with Keith. In all honestly, he wished that they would butt out of his love life. The last time they had interfered, it hadn’t ended well. Keith didn’t leave his room for a week, and some ‘random’ damage had been done to the cheater’s car.  
_ _ _

___Black sunglasses had hid Lance’s blue eyes from view, and Keith hated that he was disappointed not to see him. He had just met the idiot yesterday, and he was already thinking way more than he should about how his eyes looked.  
_ _ _

___“Was that Beyoncé?” he had asked Lance, a small smile pulling at his lips. Despite how he fought to control it, it was still there.  
_ _ _

___“Why yes, it was,” he said, shooting him finger guns.  
_ _ _

___Keith chuckled and turned away, praying that Lance couldn’t see the effect he was having on him.  
_ _ _

___Pidge had called out to Lance, and he had jogged back over to his car. Yeah, Keith was severely fucked.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___It was about a ten-minute walk to the spot on the beach, and Keith walked next to Matt the whole time. No matter what Lance did to try and move up next to him, he always seemed to outmaneuver him. It was a shame that he wasn’t as good in the water as he was on land. Well, not too much of a shame seeing how Keith’s poor swimming skills had brought them together.  
_ _ _

___The view from behind wasn’t bad, either. There was a certain hip maneuver that Keith did that made it look like he was sashaying everywhere he went, and it would have required surgery to remove Lance’s eyes from the Korean’s rear.  
_ _ _

___Not that Lance was only interested in him for the way he looked. Initially, that was what had caught his attention, but he was quickly learning that there was much more to Keith that met the eye.  
_ _ _

___He seemed closed off when you first talked to him, but there was the way that he looked at Shiro that said he wasn’t. From their brief conversation last night, Lance already knew that Keith had a similar sense of humor, even if he was less open about it. There was something so alluring to him that he couldn’t help but want to get closer to him.  
_ _ _

___They’re about three minutes from the spot when Keith does it. Without even pausing his bored conversation, he pulls a hair tie off his wrist and ties back his mullet. Lance is ready to melt then and there.  
_ _ _

___He actually stops in his tracks, everything else stopping around him. Forget the lower part of his body; Lance watching Keith tie back his hair is by far the hottest thing that he has ever witnessed. Pidge has to actually push him to get him to start walking again.  
_ _ _

___“Focus with the head between your ears, not between your legs,” she mutters as she passes him.  
_ _ _

___Lance would have thrown her the finger if he had a free hand.  
_ _ _

___When they finally reached the spot, Lance was pleased to see that they were the only ones here. It was out of reach from the lifeguards, and was half in shade and half in sun. The tidepool was firmly in the sunny area, and the shaded side was backed by a rock wall. In a word, if was perfect.  
_ _ _

___Beach supplies was dumped out of seven sets of hands simultaneously, four people heading for the sunny side and the other three on the shady side. Lance was pleased to see that Keith was joining him over by the tide pool.  
_ _ _

___Hunk and Matt had struck up a conversation, Hunk sending a wink over his shoulder at Lance as he did so. He would have winked back, but was preoccupied by Keith standing closer than actually necessary.  
_ _ _

___“So,” Lance said before Keith could even open his mouth. “I’m teaching you to swim.”  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___Keith felt his stomach hit the ground as Lance said that he was going to teach him how to swim.  
_ _ _

___“I nearly drowned yesterday, thank you very much. I won’t be going anywhere near the water.”  
_ _ _

___“Too late,” said Lance, and before he could process what was happening, strong hands were on his shoulders, and he was being pushed backwards. Instincts had managed to kick in enough for him to wrap a hand around one of Lance’s forearms, and pulled him with Keith into the water.  
_ _ _

___His ass hit the tide pool first, surprisingly warm. And then the rest of him submerged, and a long body was pressing his down.  
_ _ _

___He struggled, panic flaring up. No, no, not again, yesterday had been scaring enough.  
_ _ _

___Lance pulled up and off of him, and Keith broke the surface, panting.  
_ _ _

___“Lance, what the fuck?” he spluttered. Wet hair was falling in his eyes, but he could still see well enough to see the cheeky grin that the other boy was wearing.  
_ _ _

___“Man, you’re fine.”  
_ _ _

___“I am not fine, I am- “  
_ _ _

___Lance moved over to him, a concerned expression on his face. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. See?” he gestured, and Keith glanced down to see that he was sitting in no more than two feet of water. His bathtub got fuller than this.  
_ _ _

___“Oh,” he said dumbly, his cheeks heating up. “That still wasn’t cool. People have drowned in less water than this.”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, but you have a certified lifeguard here.”  
_ _ _

___Keith rolled his eyes, scowling slightly. It still wasn’t funny, even if it was as shallow as this.  
_ _ _

___“Hey,” Lance said softly. Keith kept his eyes trained firmly on the water. “I’m sorry.”  
_ _ _

___There was such genuine feeling in his voice that Keith had to look at him, and murmured something along the lines of, ‘it’s okay’. If he hadn’t realized it before, he certainly knew now that his brain didn’t quite work around Lance.  
_ _ _

___“Since we’re already in the water, I guess I should learn how to swim.”  
_ _ _

___Lance shot him a grin that could outshine the sun.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___The day passed with much splashing, insults, and laughter thrown between the pair.  
_ _ _

___Shiro and Allura watched it all from the shade with small smiles on their faces.  
_ _ _

___“How’d you know they would be at Voltron last night?” she had asked at one point.  
_ _ _

___Shiro had shrugged. “Dumb luck.”  
_ _ _

___“Hmm,” replied Allura. “Maybe it was fate.”  
_ _ _

___“Maybe indeed.” She didn’t notice the slight smirk on his face. It certainly didn’t have anything to do with the fact that her Uncle Coran owned Voltron, and was always looking to set Keith up with somebody. No, it was all up to fate.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___Lance and Keith were side by side, watching as the remnants of the sun dipped below the horizon. The rest of the group had split off, and it was just the two of them on the beach now.  
_ _ _

___The sky was a gorgeous purple stained pink, and Lance was gazing at it with a sense of contentment.  
_ _ _

___This was everything he had always pictured in life: coming here with someone special, watching as the sun set. There were different endings to his fantasy, but it almost always ended with a romantic kiss. Whether that led to… other things… depended on his mood.  
_ _ _

___Right now, he was settled with it how it was.  
_ _ _

___Keith hadn’t made a move to pull away at all, and their shoulders had been pressed against each other for the last half hour.  
_ _ _

___The raven-haired boy was the first to break the silence. “This is nice.”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah,” replied the Cuban, taking his eyes away from the sky to marvel at the wonder sitting next to him.  
_ _ _

___Keith chose that moment to look at him as well. Their lips were only inches apart, but neither made a move to close the gap.  
_ _ _

___“I never thanked you. For saving me, that is,” Keith said softly.  
_ _ _

___Lance allowed a grin to come to his face. “Just doing my job.” They settled back into silence, watching each other in the growing darkness.  
_ _ _

___“Did you mean it?” Lance asked suddenly.  
_ _ _

___“Mean what?” Keith asked, an adorable look of confusion coming onto his face.  
_ _ _

___“When you called me ‘pretty boy’ last night.”  
_ _ _

___The blush staining his pale cheeks was answer enough. A few more beats of silence and then Keith spoke again.  
_ _ _

___“How would you maybe like to go on that date?”  
_ _ _

___Lance was shock still for a moment, and then nodded so fast that his head was at risk of becoming detached from his neck.  
_ _ _

___“I would like that very much, yes.”  
_ _ _

___“Good,” Keith said with a grin. And then he pulled back, and Lance was left feeling cold. He held out a hand, helping the taller boy to his feet.  
_ _ _

___They stayed like that for a heartbeat, gazing at each other with their hands still clasped. Lowering their arms, neither made a move to detangle their hands as they made their way to Lance’s car.  
_ _ _

___In none of Lance’s dreams about a night at the hidden beach had ended like this, but he couldn’t have imagined something quite so perfect as this.  
_ _ _

___It was a silent drive to Keith’s house, the windows rolled down allowing the wind to sweep away any unspoken words.  
_ _ _

___As Lance pulled up to Shiro and Keith’s shared home, Keith pulled Lance’s phone out of the cup holder.  
_ _ _

___“Open it,” he said, holding it out to the Cuban. Lance unlocked it with a slight smirk, his heart hammering against his ribcage.  
_ _ _

___Keith punched something into his phone, and locked it without another word.  
_ _ _

___Only as Lance was standing on the doorstep watching as the door swung shut did he hear two final words. “Call me.”  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___(Two weeks later):  
_ _ _

___“He really gave you a fake number?” Hunk asked with wide eyes, pity clear on his face. Lance nodded glumly. Where had he gone wrong? The night had seemed so perfect, and Keith had looked so genuine when he was putting in his number.  
_ _ _

___“He’s not worth it,” said Pidge from the computer. It was the first that she had been able to Skype, and Hunk and Lance were both crowded on Lance’s bed to talk to her.  
_ _ _

___“He just seemed so…” Lance finished his sentence with a dramatic sigh. The same question kept floating around his head, and he just kept kicking himself. Over and over.  
_ _ _

___“Talk to Shiro, maybe he can give you an insight?” suggested Hunk.  
_ _ _

___Lance shook his head. “He’s away on vacation with Allura, I’m not going to bother him with my love life troubles.” He raised an eyebrow at Hunk. “And can I really ask him why his little brother is a dick?”  
_ _ _

___“I mean you can,” came Pidge’s voice, and Lance glared at her through the webcam.  
_ _ _

___“You are being so helpful, Pidgeon.” She gave him a finger at the use of the nickname and he ignored the gesture.  
_ _ _

___Hunk laughed nervously, and changed the subject to how Pidge was doing at her science camp. Lance felt bad for always dumping his romantic problems on the big guy, especially since Hunk was a fixer. If there was nothing to fix, Hunk didn’t know what to do. But he had been there since the first day of kindergarten, and Lance wouldn’t trade him for the world.  
_ _ _

___They chatted for another hour or so, and then Lance glanced at the clock. He shot up in a panic, muttering obscenities under his breath.  
_ _ _

___“I’m late for work, gotta blast,” he called over his shoulder as he ran from his room and to the bathroom. The girl he was supposed to be replacing would kill him if he was late again.  
_ _ _

___He had left his house in a hurry enough that he trusted Hunk to shut off his laptop and lock up. Knowing him, he would probably still be there when he got back, helping out his mama in the kitchen. Their cooking separately was phenomenal, but when they worked together, the food was so good that Lance had to pinch himself to make sure that he hadn’t died and gone to heaven.  
_ _ _

___He barely noticed the mullet as he ran past on his way to the lifeguard chair.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___“It’s been two weeks, Shiro. And he still hasn’t called!” Keith whined to his brother.  
_ _ _

___Shiro looked at him through his phone screen, a confused and sympathetic expression on his face.  
_ _ _

___“That isn’t like Lance. Are you sure you put your number into his phone correctly?”  
_ _ _

___“Of course I’m sure,” Keith shot back, not sure at all. In truth, his hands had been shaking so much with nerves that the number could have been put in totally wrong, and he would have no idea. He mentally kicked himself. He should have gotten Lance’s number as well.  
_ _ _

___“Well, then, I’m not sure what to tell you. Maybe try finding him at the beach and, you know, talking things out?”  
_ _ _

___Keith scowled. “Why would I ever want to go back to that hell of a place?”  
_ _ _

___They were both silent for a moment, remembering the circumstances under which the pair met for the first time. “Besides, I don’t even know when he’s working.”  
_ _ _

___Shiro sighed, and then looked over his shoulder as someone on the other end called out to him. “Just give it a try. I gotta go. Good luck, dude.”  
_ _ _

___The call ended, and Keith dropped his phone down onto his chest with a huff.  
_ _ _

___Lance was a dick who didn’t bother calling him. He was nothing but a jackass who had used a corny pick up line after doing his basic job requirements, and then pestered Keith until he got what he wanted.  
_ _ _

___But he couldn’t get those blue eyes out of his head, or the nervous smile he had given Keith as they stood together on his porch. And he had taken him to the _spot _, as Lance had called it, a place where he would only take someone truly worthy.  
___ _ _

___Keith had heard the whole story as the sun was setting, long after the others had left. Lance discovering it with his brothers and sisters. How they had played there all day, the area a perfect mix of shade and sun. How sometimes he went out there all by himself when he just wanted to think, away from the hordes of people, but still close enough to hear the waves crashing on the shore.  
_ _ _

___The way that his eyes had shone when he had talked about his siblings had caused Keith’s heart to clench in his chest. He didn’t have siblings of his own, save for Shiro, who had brought him in when he was fifteen. Before that, he had been bounced from foster house to foster house, never finding a place in the world.  
_ _ _

___He would give anything to see that light in Lance’s eyes again. He would have given even more to see that light when Lance was talking about him.  
Keith groaned, dragging himself up from the couch.  
_ _ _

___If Lance wasn’t at the beach today, then he would forget about him.  
_ _ _

___That was how Keith ended up standing in the hot sand, eyes searching all around. He had walked up and down the beach twice, and two lifeguards had asked him what he was looking for. Neither was the lifeguard he was actually looking for, but one had quietly informed him when the next rotation began, a soft look in her eyes.  
_ _ _

___Keith could feel himself blushing as she casually mentioned which station usually attracted the most people, due to the certain tan skinned lifeguard working there.  
_ _ _

___Said lifeguard had just blown past him, looking flushed as he weaved through the umbrellas to the tall chair.  
_ _ _

___He didn’t seem to stop and notice Keith, but for a brief moment, it had seemed like time slowed down as he glanced at him, the barest hint of recognition in his eyes.  
_ _ _

___But the lifeguard had run by, and Keith was left standing in the hot sand, wondering if it was him, if something had finally gone right. And if it was him, why didn’t he stop?  
_ _ _

___There were several possible answers to that question, none of which were good. He had seen Keith, and decided to ignore him. Or he had imagined the look in his eyes, and Lance didn’t remember him after all. Or the worst one yet: that wasn’t Lance, and he had missed him once again.  
_ _ _

___The final possibility was what finally prompted Keith to go trudging down to the water’s edge, and fall face first into the cool blue ocean.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___A dark shock of black hair angrily stormed past the lifeguard stand, the offended kicking up sand in his wake. It was the shock of pale skin that had finally drawn Lance out of his wallow in self-pity, and pay attention.  
_ _ _

___That mane of hair looked familiar, but the stranger had walked by so quickly that Lance hadn’t managed to get a good look before he was lost by the sea of umbrellas.  
_ _ _

___When he reemerged at the edge of the water, Lance felt his heart start to beat faster. Was that him? Was that Keith, standing with his toes in the surf and wearing that familiar pair of blue shorts that Lance saw every night in his dreams?  
_ _ _

___Keith-the-lookalike then decided to fall face first into the water, a giant belly flop.  
_ _ _

___Lance bit back laughter, watching as the force created a wave around him. But when thirty seconds had passed and the boy with pale skin had yet to resurface, Lance shot out of his chair.  
_ _ _

____Not again _, he thought as he made his way to the floating body.  
__ _ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___Keith couldn’t hold his breath for much longer. Even if that lifeguard wasn’t Lance, someone should have come to his rescue by now.  
_ _ _

___He was just about to push himself up when strong hands wrapped under his armpits, and he was hauled up and out of the water. He gulped in air like a starving man at Thanksgiving, opening his eyes.  
_ _ _

___The first thing they landed on was the dazzling blue of another pair of eyes that he couldn’t forget even if he tried.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___A dozen things ran through Lance’s mind when he pulled the boy up and out of the water.  
_ _ _

___When those unforgettable violet eyes met his, all other thoughts left his head.  
_ _ _

___“Must you keep doing this?” came out of his mouth without his permission.  
_ _ _

___“It’s the only way to get your attention, it seems,” Keith shot back, looking a little soaked.  
_ _ _

___Lance was feeling so many things at once, the most prominent emotion being annoyance.  
_ _ _

___He dropped Keith, who landed on his ass back in the water. “What the hell, man?”  
_ _ _

___Keith looked at him in confusion, a spark of anger dancing in his eyes. “What do you mean, what the hell? You’re the one that hasn’t called me!”  
_ _ _

___Lance’s jaw dropped, and he rolled his eyes. “You’re the one that gave me a fake number, jackass.”  
_ _ _

___“I didn’t give you a fake number,” retorted Keith. “You must be calling it wrong.”  
_ _ _

___“Nope,” Lance said, walking away and leaving a floundering Keith to suffer in the water.  
_ _ _

___But Keith was right on his heels, and two small but forceful hands shoved him from behind.  
_ _ _

___“I almost drowned for you, and you walk away?” Lance rolled his eyes. He wouldn’t let the stupid mullet drown. He liked this job more than he cared to admit.  
_ _ _

___“Fine, I’ll show you,” Lance said, feeling his anger flare up. The only thing on his mind for two weeks had been Keith and those stupid violet eyes, and this was how their interaction was going. Pidge was right.  
_ _ _

___Pulling out his phone, he brought up Keith’s contact. Holding it in front of his face, he watched as purple eyes widened and then narrowed, and a lovely blush formed on his face.  
_ _ _

___“I uh, might have put my number in wrong,” the Korean said sheepishly.  
_ _ _

___“Oh.” Lance felt all his anger deflate with a single sentence. “I did try calling you,” he said softly.  
_ _ _

___Keith was typing away at his phone, and with a final tap on the screen, he handed the phone back to Lance.  
_ _ _

___“Try again?”  
_ _ _

___Lance hit the ‘call’ button with his phone, listening as a bag nearby began to ring. Keith fished a phone out, answering the call.  
_ _ _

___“About time,” he said both to Lance in person and over the phone. Keith was grinning, and Lance felt his insides flip-flopping.  
_ _ _

___The entire surrounding beach cheered as Lance swept Keith up and into his arms.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___(Two weeks later):  
_ _ _

___“Ugh I am so not ready for college,” Lance groaned from his spot on the couch. Keith was curled up next to him, flipping through channels.  
_ _ _

___“Neither am I,” he said absently, trying to find the network he was looking for. Lance rambled on, and Keith let him talk. He had learned that it was nearly impossible to shut the tanned boy up, but Keith couldn’t think of anything better than listening to him as he talked about whatever was on his mind at the moment.  
_ _ _

___Keith murmured his assent where it was needed, finally finding the channel he was searching for.  
_ _ _

___Lance paused in his monologue, looking down at Keith with wide eyes. “Over eight hundred channels, and you pick the ‘cryptid network’?!”  
_ _ _

___Keith shrugged, snuggling deeper into Lance’s side. “Hush, and watch.” To his surprise, Lance did. Neither one of them spoke about college again until it was time for them to leave for school.  
_ _ _

___~~~  
_ _ _

___In the whole time that Lance had spent with Keith, he had neglected to find out where the dark-haired boy was going.  
_ _ _

___And now Lance was standing in the hallway of his new dorm panicking.  
_ _ _

___He had gone through all the trouble of saving the idiot (twice), and now they might be going to separate schools.  
_ _ _

___Hunk was the brunt of all of Lance’s worrying, hearing each and every one of his concerns with a small smile. Hunk knew exactly where Keith was going to school, but he was going to make Lance suffer for a little bit before he told him. He had to endure two weeks of Lance pining for this boy, the least Hunk could do was have a little fun.  
_ _ _

___“What am I going to do?” Lance had wailed.  
_ _ _

___He was standing outside the door that marked his dorm, and had just realized what names it had read.  
_ _ _

___“McClain, Kogane,” he read slowly. “Hunk? Why isn’t your name on the door?”  
_ _ _

___Hunk lifted his head at the mention of his name, and smirked outright. “No idea Lance. You should open it and see who your dorm mate is.”  
_ _ _

___There was something in Hunk’s tone that made Lance eye him warily, but he unlocked the door anyways.  
_ _ _

___It was a small room, with only two beds, a small table, and a sofa. And sitting on one of the beds was Keith.  
_ _ _

___“Keith?”  
_ _ _

___“Lance?”  
_ _ _

___They had both spoken at the same time, parallel expressions of bewilderment on their faces.  
_ _ _

___“Your last name is McClain?”  
_ _ _

___“Your last name is Kogane?”  
_ _ _

___Neither one of them were moving, and Hunk had to put his hand on Lance’s back to get him all the way into the room.  
_ _ _

___“I’ll just leave you two here,” he said, a mischievous smile on his face.  
_ _ _

___Hunk whistled to himself as he walked to where his own dorm was, his girlfriend Shay leaning against the doorframe.  
_ _ _

___“Do they have any idea?” she asked when he came into earshot.  
_ _ _

___“Nope.” He pulled her into his arms, leaning his cheek against hers. Shay was so tall that she didn’t even have to wear heels to match Hunk’s height. “Did I ever mention how thankful I was for your job in the office?”  
_ _ _

___“Nope, and you still owe me dinner.”  
_ _ _

___“Done.”_ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> SOOOO this was originally supposed to be like 3,000 words long but my fingers started typing and well now it's longer than I anticipated. It came from a prompt list that I had seen on tumblr, not specific to Volton, but just in passing, and then I immediately thought of Lance as a lifeguard, and bam! I suddenly have an 8K fic. If you liked it, comments and kudos are very welcome! This is my first fic for this fandom, but not my last. I have a few more planned, but it will be a while before they ever see the light of day due to things going on. Also, this hasn't been beta read so if you noticed any spelling or grammar mistakes, comment and I'll fix it. You can also find me @blondeslytherin on tumblr and @aesthetically_bookish on instagram :)


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